You know the feeling. You have just developed that really cool web design and have spent hours coding the template_css.css file in notepad and now its time to release this little beauty onto your new Joomla web site.

But wait have you tested your new Joomla web design with the latest browsers including Internet Explorer , Firefox, Safari and more. But why do i need to test my design it works fine in firefox and my friend can see it ok in Internet Explorer 5.5 so whats the problem ?

What you need to consider is your target audience the people who will be visiting your site. You need to ensure the design is compatiable with as many browsers as possible. The first port of call is the W3schools browser stats page. This site will give you a good understanding about what browsers are still in use and which ones are most popular across the internet.

Browser Testing Options

Seperate Machines

One option is to build a couple of seperate machines running diffrent versions of the browser you need to test aganist. The down side to this approach is you need 3 or machine plus the space and time to set them up.

VMware

Vmware is another option. Bascially Vmware enables you to run a number of virtual operating systems on the same machine. You will need alot of memory plus a fast CPU to run more than 2 or 3 virtual desktop machines but this is a pretty good option when it comes to testing your new Joomla template theme aganist the various browsers. The disadvantage to using this approach is the cost. A Vmware desktop licence will cost you between £300 - £400 UK Pounds.

Evolt Stand Alone Browser testing

Evolt offer a wide range of stand alone browsers which are ideal for testing your new Joomla web designs. The great thing about the Evolt stand alone browsers is that you can download the browsers in a .exe format and then install them on your machine. Cool hey!!! No need for seperate machines or a Vmware licence. This would be the best solution.

TrendoSoft Multiple_IE

Trendosoft have develop a very cool free tool which enables you to install all old versions of IE including  IE 3.0, 4.01, 5.01, 5.5, and 6 which means if you need to install IE 7 then you can install it plus test your Joomla web designs against the old IE versions.

For more information visit the Trendosoft Multi_IE site.